Friday, September 4, 2015

The Alchemist

I
love to write. There’s something liberating and poetic about expressing one’s
thoughts, emotions, and fantasies in words. But, even greater than my love of
writing is my passion as a reader. I adore those rare moments when I pick up a
book that turns my whole world on its ear, and makes me see things from a fresh
perspective. Recently, I reread one such gem. The Alchemist by Paul Coelho is a book whose message is
simultaneously simple and multi-layered.

Throughout
the journey of the story’s protagonist, the reader is made to reflect on our
own pilgrimage through life. Reading it, and then rereading it, forced me to
examine my own rhetoric, and face my fears. We all like to think that we’re
living our lives to the fullest, and fulfilling our purpose. But, if many of us
are honest with ourselves, we’re really doing the bare minimum. Squeaking by
with minimal effort, not giving life our all. Reading The Alchemist opened my eyes in unexpected ways. `It changed my
thinking, and made me examine whether or not I have truly been living by my own
mantra: “Dream BIG!”

I
say the phrase all the time. It’s something I have drilled into the heads of my
children, the young ladies I’ve mentored, and anyone who follows me on social
media. “Dream BIG!” In many ways, I’ve demonstrated my commitment to this
mantra in my life. As a young lady navigating some of the roughest parts of New
York City, I dared to dream that I could get out of the projects and provide a
better life for my children. I did that. I dreamed of becoming an author,
traveling, and I’ve done those things. But, until I really dug into the message
of The Alchemist, I wasn’t truly
dreaming BIG. I was dreaming within
my own comfort zone, afraid that if I dared to long for something greater that I
might be disappointed. I was thinking too small.

The
story follows a young shepherd’s search for his own Personal Legend – the destiny
he’s meant to fulfill in life, and his own personal treasure. His journey made
me examine my own voyage toward the same things. Along the way, the shepherd
met several people who factored into his destiny in different ways. There were
those who discouraged him from dreaming too big, warning him that
disappointment could result if he was unable to reach his goal. He encountered
those who envied his ability to dream, when they had long ago given up on
having dreams of their own. While reading the book, I thought about those who
settle for a life of mediocrity; doing what they have to do in order to have
the appearance of success, all the while feeling unfulfilled deep inside
because they never had the courage to truly go
for it.

I
had to admit that I was one of those people. I was settling for a life of
comfort, predictability, and ordinariness, when I knew all along that I’m
capable of so much more. I got caught in the trap of getting comfortable in a place
where I was only meant to rest for a brief moment. It was just a rest stop on
the road toward something so much greater. Like the shepherd, I had to find the
courage to leave the “crystal shop” where I was working and venture out into
the “desert” toward my own Personal Legend.

I
think there’s a book out there for each of us that has the potential to rock us
to our core. This book was it for me. It felt like some wise elder sat me down
and said to me, very frankly, “Snap out
of it! There’s a huge unclaimed reward out there with your name on it. Go get
it. Stop being average. Life should never be average.”

It
woke me up; gave me the courage to abandon the trappings of a pretty
comfortable lifestyle for the chance at going full throttle as a writer, a
visionary, a storyteller, and a trailblazer. It pushed me to stop thinking
small, settling for a safe bet, when the very scent of possibility is delicious
to me. I was born to take risks, to seek the adventure of new beginnings and to
challenge myself to grow as the woman God created me to be. The Alchemist lit a fire inside of me.

I
suggested the book to my book club, Between the Lines, and our discussion was
so rich. Each of us has been on a personal journey of growth as women, albeit
in different ways. We were all able to gauge some inspiration from the book.
For some of us, the book spoke volumes, revolutionizing the way we view the ups
and downs of life. For others, the message was less poignant. But, all of us
walked away from it with the reminder that everything we seek is on the other
side of fear. Once we face our fears in pursuit of our dreams, immense treasure
awaits. Happiness is found.

William
H. Gass said, “The true alchemists do not
change lead into gold; they change the world into words.”

I like to imagine that I will reach the level of
excellence as a writer that I might be considered a true alchemist. What I know
for sure is that I’m more determined than ever to try.